I was not sure what to expect from this Otello. The opera has long been one of my favourites, so I always have high expectations. This San Francisco production is a solid one, if not great like 1992, 1996 and 1974 and also the Zeffirelli film(though I know people who dislike it). The costume and set design at first is ideal for a dark and stormy evening and continues to be effective, especially in the lighting(dark in the opening to the blue hue in the final scene) as Iago's manipulation and Otello's increasing torment continues to drive the drama. There are times however where it is too crowded. The orchestra play very well indeed, sending up a storm in Si Pel Ciel as one would expect and the woodwinds are both delicate and forceful. Nicola Luisotti's conducting shows a great deal of attention to musicality, and the chorus are well balanced vocally. The staging does well in showing the anxiety then relief and joy of the chorus, Otello's jealousy and torment, Iago's false friend routine in order to manipulate Otello and Desdemona's innocent poignancy. The singing is mostly fine. Johan Botha sings strongly as Otello, and while I have not always been convinced by his acting I felt he showed the contrast of a powerful leader to a man who shows dark rage at the betrayal by his wife that he was led to believe. Desdemona is played beautifully by Zvetelina Vassileva. I find the vibrato is rather loose on her high notes, but the affecting purity of her interpretation really impresses, and the image of the elegant and flowing white fabric in Act 4 is very striking. As one of the most evil-incarnate villains in all of opera, Marco Vratogna got a mixed reaction from me. The acting is suitably conniving and quite smooth in places, which makes Iago's villainy even more chilling, but I would have preferred a darker and less coarse-sounding voice. Renee Tatum is an attentive Emilia and Eric Halvarson makes much of little as Ludovico despite some somewhat woolly vocals. Beau Gibbons is a vocally stylish if stolid Cassio. All in all, a solid production of one of Verdi's greatest if not one of my favourites. 7/10 Bethany Cox
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